


In Cold Irons Bound

by JiM



Category: due South
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, Episode Related, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Series, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-10-25
Updated: 2001-10-25
Packaged: 2018-11-10 07:11:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11122344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JiM/pseuds/JiM
Summary: Note from Speranza, the archivist: this story was once archived atDue South Archive. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onDue South Archive collection profile.





	In Cold Irons Bound

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Speranza, the archivist: this story was once archived at [Due South Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Due_South_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Due South Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/duesoutharchive).

  
In Cold Irons Bound

## In Cold Irons Bound

by anonymous co

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Aren't mine, don't own 'em, thought they were cute and might like   
to have some fun. Besides, talk about subtext. This is JiM's fault, and Bone's. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Author's Notes: 

Story Notes: 

This story is a sequel to: And Blue 

* * *

  * ....twenty miles out of town in cold irons bound *** 



....In Cold Irons Bound 

Donnelly lets Fraser go, as promised, and I drive as careful as mice, because even belted him, I worry about his back. I brought Dief with me to pick Fraser up, and Dief is hanging out between the seats, which is cool, and Fraser keeps petting him. 

I still haven't said anything to Fraser, but this is Sunday, and I know he knows I usually head out to my folks on Sunday, so I head off any of that self-sacrificing stuff by saying, "Told my mom I was picking you up from the hospital today, Ben, so she's not expecting me." 

He looks surprised. "Of course, today's Sunday, I'm afraid I'd lost track." 

"Drugs, Ben, that's what drugs do to ya." I reach out and take his hand, though, and he knows I'm joking. 

"I'm afraid you're right." He squeezes my fingers. "I wasn't aware you'd mentioned the surgery to your parents." 

"Sure," I say, "Mum sends her best wishes to ya." 

"You'll have to thank her for me." He's leaning back into the seat, not quite Mountie straight posture, probably won't be for a little while. 

I nod, wondering if my parents are ever going to speak to me again. Haven't heard anything from my dad since the scene in the hallway. 

Don't expect to, honestly, and every day that passes the hurt eases up a little. Not a lot. But I figure it'll crank back down to where it was before they came back. I just have to wait it out. Just have to learn to be patient. 

Anyway, once we're home, I make Fraser lie down, and when I check back on him after starting some soup, he's out. Hey, it's a big outing after surgery, I remember how whipped I was when I got shot, back when I got the kid out of the warehouse. I turn the soup back off, rattle around the apartment with Dief. 

I finally just let myself realize I'm whipped and lie down with Fraser. Feels good, even if I'm just up close behind him, not exactly wrapped around him, and it doesn't take me long to zonk out. 

Phone wakes us both up, and I scramble for it, snatch it up. "Kowalski," I tell it, since I'm still zoned and not thinking. 

"Ray, it's Frannie. I'm sorry, this is my fault, but I didn't think-my brother is on his way over there." 

I blink at the phone. She's almost crying, which isn't good, and then I process the rest of it. Oh, great. Never rains but it pours. "What happened?" 

"It's hard to explain." She sniffles. 

I hear some noise in the background and then next thing I hear is Stella's voice. "Ray, I'm on my way over. If you have to let him in, just tell him about Fraser's surgery, that should calm him down." 

Stella's in Chicago. With Ray Vecchio. Yeah, okay, I knew they were together, but what the hell are they doing in Chicago? 

"Okay," I say, "Okay. I'll deal." 

"Don't get into a brawl," she says and hangs up. 

"Something wrong?" Soft, sleep-blurred voice. 

I lean over and kiss him. "Nope. Go back to sleep, Ben. I'm just going to get something to eat." 

His eyelids fall again. "Mmhmm." I sit there for a minute, trying to get my legs under me, and I touch his hair real light, not enough to wake him up again. 

I don't sit long, I don't know when the fuck Vecchio's going to show, and I'm not going to let him in my apartment, not if he's ballistic enough to make Frannie cry. Not if my ex-wife is worried enough about it to tell me not to get into a brawl. 

So I put my shoes back on, close the bedroom door and leave the apartment. I'm standing on the sidewalk outside my apartment building when Vecchio slams out of his car and heads for me. 

No brawl, I think, but the truth is, I'm itching for one. Between Fraser and my dad and fucking Geraldine Winthrop, I can almost taste it. So I have to rachet down hard on my temper, I put both hands up as Vecchio stomps toward me. "Easy," I say, and that's all I have time for before he punches me in the face hard enough to slam me back against the outside wall. 

My vision goes kind of grey for a minute, and don't let anybody ever tell you getting punched in the face can't ring your chimes. But I bounce back up off the wall and okay, I'm all over it, I swing back, and I get him in the gut. 

He staggers back, and he's cursing a blue streak. 

"You kiss your mother with that mouth," I snarl. "What the _fuck_ is your problem?" 

"You bastard," he tells me, and swings again, but this time I have enough sense to duck. "You fucker, you took advantage of him." 

I can't fucking believe it. "You don't know what the fuck you're talking about." 

Car pulls up then, and it's Mama Vecchio's, and Stella pops out first. "Ray," she shouts, "Dammit, Ray!" 

I can't tell which one of us she's yelling at, but I bet on him, I take a couple of quick steps back, fighter's shuffle, keeping my fists up. "Swear to God, Stella, calm him down or I'm not responsible," I snap. 

"Both of you calm down," Stella snaps back, and then, Jesus Christ, Frannie and Mama Vecchio get out of the car, and Mama Vecchio is yelling at Vecchio in Italian and he steps back, takes a deep breath and starts to shout back. 

Frannie gets involved then, it's like a fucking circus, only three of the clowns are yelling in Italian, and Vecchio finally turns a dull red and drops his hands. 

I'm breathing hard and I can feel my face puffing up, and Stella looks at me, her mouth flattening out. "Jesus." I don't think she's mad at me, at least not yet. 

She raises her hand and reaches out to touch my face, but I duck back. "Don't, Stel, it's gonna hurt like a sonuvabitch." 

"You need some ice on it. Come on, let's go upstairs." 

"Fraser's asleep, I don't want him to know about this shit, he doesn't need it right now. He just got home from the hospital." 

Vecchio flinches away at that, and Mrs. Vecchio's finally stopped yelling, now she's talking to him real low, and whatever she's saying is sinking in but good, really hitting him on the raw. 

Frannie's gone, I have no idea where she went, and I panic. "Where the hell-she didn't go inside, did she?" 

"No, no, she went down to the corner." Stella pats my shoulder. 

"I hope she's not calling the cops," I say, kinda dry. 

Stella laughs, short sound, not too humorous. "So do I." 

Mrs. Vecchio finally runs down. Vecchio turns back around, doesn't quite look at me. "Sorry, Kowalski." Roughly. "Guess I kind of lost my temper." 

"Like it's any of your fucking business," I snarl. I'm not quite ready to make nice. Frannie comes trotting back from the corner with a bag of ice, and I know I'm in the circus now, people on the street are looking over at the loonies as they pass by. 

Frannie has a scarf around her neck and when she gets to me, she makes me sit down on the stoop while she packs some ice into it. She looks really grim, I don't think I've ever seen Frannie look this grim, so I let her make the icepack and hold it up to my cheekbone. Doesn't feel like anything's broken, but I'm going to have some trouble explaining this to Fraser. 

Vecchio's calm now, the bastard, and he looks pretty goddamned embarrassed. Stella just looks at him, and boy, I remember that look, if he's not ready to apologize to her now, he will be later. Not that I feel sorry for him. Far as I'm concerned, she could walk all over him in her best pumps and I'd cheer her on. 

I finally sigh and look at the rest of the bag of ice, currently melting all over the stoop. "We might as well go up." I look at Vecchio. "You say one shitty thing to him, and I swear to God, I'll kick your face in." 

He starts out looking mad, then embarrassed, then sad. "He's my friend." 

Yeah, right. So I lead the way upstairs and they all come in and I go and check on Fraser, who's still out for the count. Thank God. 

"He's sleeping," I tell them. Frannie heads into the kitchen and starts rummaging, finds the coffee and fills the pot. Mrs. Vecchio joins her, and they rattle on Italian, which I think means they're talking about me and Fraser without me knowing it, but what the hell. 

Stella makes me sit down and examines my face while Vecchio moves around the livingroom, which makes me nervous, and even more nervous because let's face it, my apartment isn't really big enough to have this many people in it, three of which are Italian and two of which are totally pissed off. 

Well, that might not be fair. Vecchio mostly seems calm now, even if he won't quite look at me. Stella goes into the bathroom and comes back with some butterfly Bandaids, which means the fucker cut me, and that makes me mad all over again. 

I hear a noise from the bedroom and realize I shut Dief in there with Fraser. Stella finishes and I go over and Fraser is sitting up on the bed, looking a little confused and sleepy. "Ray?" 

"Hi." I must look like shit, his gaze sharpens right up. "We've got some visitors, Ben. Vecchio came by to see you." 

He's staring at me. "What happened to your face?" 

"Had a little accident, I'll tell ya later." He gets up a little quicker than he should, and I see him wince. I walk over and hug him very gently. "Hey, I'm okay, don't get upset, okay?" 

He's as tight as he can be. "Did he hit you?" Flat voice. 

"It's okay, Ben, it's cool. He got a little upset, that's all." Which isn't exactly true, but I'm damned if I want him upset over this. 

"Did he hit you?" Still flat. 

"Yeah, but I got a punch in, too, so don't get too bent, okay?" 

After a minute, I feel his muscles unknot a little. "I'll try and remember that." Gently. 

Good as I can hope for. So we both walk back out and I see Vecchio's expression change from being embarrassed to something kind of like sadness. Hits me then, he's got to partly be reacting this way because it was his bullet in Fraser's back, and I try to take a few steps back from hating his guts. 

Makes it easier, remembering that. 

Vecchio sort of hugs Fraser, but Fraser, I can see, isn't giving much. "Benny," Vecchio says. "Ma told me you had to have surgery when we got here. You doin' okay?" 

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you." Fraser looks at him. "Did you hit Ray?" 

Vecchio turns the color of Fraser's uniform tunic. "Yeah. I-I apologized, Benny." 

Fraser looks at me and I nod. "Told ya, Ben, it's cool." 

Fraser nods and that's all it takes, he gives Vecchio the ghost of a smile. "I'll thank you not to do it again, Ray." 

Vecchio looks away, nods. "Sorry, Benny." Kind of hoarse. 

Okay, I'm cooling off now, too. Stella is giving me a little smile, like she appreciates me behaving decent, which naturally makes me want to punch the wall or something, but I don't. I get Ben into the armchair, which is easier to get out of than the couch, and I know the Mountie well enough to know he really doesn't want to lie down in a room full of people. "Want some of that tea?" I ask. 

"That would be very nice, Ray." He's looking at Vecchio again, but I get a warm glance real quick. 

Vecchio sits down and Dief is all over him, and we get a chorus of down, down, no wolfhair on the clothes. 

I pretend not to hear it. "Okay, you got it, Ben." I resist the urge to pat him and go into the kitchen. God, Mrs. Vecchio is pulling stuff out of the refrigerator and she's got Frannie chopping vegetables. "What are you doing," I hiss at Frannie. 

Frannie rolls her eyes. "Ma says she's going to get you two some dinner before we get out of your hair." 

Jesus. Mrs. Vecchio gives me a look. Comes over and pats my face. "You take good care of Benny now," she tells me. 

Old world Catholic lady and she's not freaking out? Wish she could talk to my dad, believe me. I put the kettle on and get the tea into the teapot. "Frannie, when that gets hot, just before it starts whistling, can you pour it into this?" 

She gives me a funny look. "Sure, Ray." And then puts down the knife, wipes her hands fast on a kitchen towel, and hugs me hard. "I hope you guys are happy." Kind of choked little voice. 

Jesus, just what I need. But I hug her back hard, and my eyes prickle a little. "We are, I think. I know &hey, I love the guy." Real weird, saying that to Frannie, but life's a little freaky lately anyway. 

By the time I go back in, Fraser is telling Vecchio about the why of the surgery, and talking pleasantly to Stella about Dr. Donnelly, who it turns out Stella knows socially. 

I sit on the arm of the armchair without thinking, and Vecchio's eyes flick to me and then away, and Stella gives him a dangerous look. 

He's definitely going to pay for the scene outside, I can tell, and for the first time I feel a little sorry for him. I know how Stella can be when she gets that mad, and even though I wasn't a prince among guys, I know it can sting pretty bad. So I lift my chin at her, and say, "You wanna finish this?" Pointing to my cheekbone. 

She gets the hint and we go into the bathroom-leaving the door open, naturally-and she does a little more butterfly work, and I say, "Don't be too hard on him, Stel. I mean, he's gotta be freakin' out about the bullet thing and all." 

Stella's fingers go still for a minute, and she shakes her head, smiling a little. "Ray, he punched you in the face." 

"Well, okay, so rack him for that, but he _did_ apologize." 

"After his mother racked him," she says, but her mouth is curving a little. She's so damn beautiful when she smiles. Never smiled enough when we were married, everything was so damn serious. 

"Besides," I say, "If he doesn't make you happy, I'll have to kill him anyway, so hey, at least he got a shot in, right?" 

She laughs outright at that. "You're such a chauvinist." But there's a fond kind of sound to her voice anyway. 

"That's me. Oink, oink." I grin at her for a minute, but it makes the skin pull and hurts, so I stop. "Ow." 

"That will teach you." She pats my shoulder. "I'm happy, Ray. And you, I can see you're happy." Her smile's a little sad. I get it, I get it a lot. I feel the same way about her. Like, I'm sorry we weren't right for each other, but I want the best for her, and I'm glad she _is_ happy. 

"Speaking of chauvinists," I say, and she pretends she's going to pinch my ear, and I say, "Ow, ow, ow!" 

That makes her laugh again, and we go back out to find Fraser and Vecchio still talking, and Frannie brought Fraser his tea. 

"We better get goin', Stella," Vecchio says and stands up. "Or we'll be late." 

Stella rolls her eyes and opens her mouth. I catch her eye and she closes it again, nods. "Say goodbye to your mother." 

Vecchio blinks at her, nods, and goes into the kitchen. Stella looks at Fraser and holds out her hand. When he holds his out, she takes it, puts her other hand over it. "Be well," she tells him. 

Which makes my eyes prickle again for a minute. And then Stella gives me a hug. "You, too, you hear?" Soft voice, and her eyes are a little bright, too. 

I nod. "Count on it." 

Vecchio comes back out and leans down to give Fraser a careful hug before he looks at me. Sticks his hand out awkwardly, like he's afraid I'm not going to shake it, but I do. He ever acts like this again, I'll cheerfully pulverize him, but he's making decent, so I will. 

Frannie comes out then. "Ma," she says and rolls her eyes. "Frase, you doin' okay?" 

He looks up at her and the poor guy, his ears are a little pink. Well, hell, why not, we sort of came out with a vengeance and I never did tell him I was pretty sure Frannie had guessed while he was in the hospital. "I'm fine, thank you kindly." 

"Good," she says, and kisses his cheek. "I sorta figured things out, Frase." Smiling at him. "I'm glad for you both. Even if I am a little jealous." 

Well, he goes bright red then, and stammers something that sounds like thanks. She grins and goes back to the kitchen. 

I sit down on the arm of the chair and put my fingers in Fraser's hair, just fingercombing, like he does to me sometimes. "You okay?" 

"I'm &.I'm a little overwhelmed, I think." He gives me a rueful sort of grin. "It isn't precisely what I expected today." He tilts his head back, looks up at me. "Why didn't you tell me about your father?" 

My heart thuds. "What about my father?" 

"That he, ah, confronted you." 

Okay, Vecchio's a dead man. Stella probably knows because she talked to my mom. That's all I can figure. So Vecchio knows, and now Fraser knows, and I get up and pace around the room, so mad I can't even think. Clench my fist and slam it into the doorjamb and Fraser says something sharp I don't catch, because I'm shaking my hand. 

Damn fool thing to do. I know that. I didn't hit the wall because I was afraid I'd punch a hole in it, but hey, that wouldn't have hurt quite as bad. "MotherFUCK!" I moan, and cradle my hand in the other. 

Fraser's up and standing beside me, looking absolutely fucking furious. "Let me see," he snaps. 

I wiggle my fingers, they're moving okay, but boy, it's going to swell up worse than my face. Dumb fucking Polack, I think. "'M okay," I tell Fraser, and only hold it out because he looks like he's going to grab me if I don't. 

Frannie's there, then, scolding me, and I let her badger me over to the couch and put my hand in a bowl of ice. "Good thing I got the whole bag," she tells me. "Jeez, men, I swear." 

Fraser's back in the armchair and Mrs. Vecchio is standing there looking stern. "No more," she tells me. "No more of that." 

I nod. "Sorry. I just&I didn't want you to know, Ben. Didn't think you needed to know." 

He frowns at me, but I can tell he doesn't want to give me hell in front of Frannie and her mother. 

"Okay, Ma's got the sauce on, just cook the pasta in about thirty minutes, and it's ready to go." Frannie shakes her head at me. "Come on, Ma, I think the Vecchios have done enough damage for one day." 

I get pretty firmly hugged by Frannie, and I look over my shoulder to see Mrs. Vecchio says something soft to Fraser, and then, finally, finally, we're back to just us two. 

"So, it's none of my business what happens between you and your father?" Sharp tone. 

I put my head on my good hand. "I didn't think you needed to know about it now, that's all." And all of it's just too much, I don't want to fight with him, that's the last thing I want to do. "I'm sorry, I just didn't want you to have to deal with my shit." 

"Oh, Ray," and he's not mad any more, he gets up and comes over to sit beside me. Big hand in the middle of my back, and I'm sucking it up, trying to hang tough. "I wish you'd told me." Softly. "Don't you think you deserve the same care and support you've given me?" 

Oh, man. I'm losing it. I take in a shaky breath. "Yeah, but not while you're in the fucking hospital." 

"The hell with that," he says, and I'm so surprised to hear him swear that I turn my head. He takes that opportunity to pull me back with him, and then we're leaning into each other and even my hand feels better. He brushes a real careful kiss over the side of my face. "I'm sorry about what Ray did." Warm breath on my skin, and never mind I'm tired and knotted up inside, that knot eases and I feel just a shiver of want. Down boy, I tell myself and settle for shifting so I can kiss the spot under his ear. 

"He was definitely out of his head." I can say that now, and mean it. Mostly. I'm still so pissed he said anything to Fraser about my folks that it's going to take a while to forgive him for that, and I hope Stella ignores my meddling ass and just reams him. 

"That's no excuse." He sighs. "None whatsoever." 

"Hey, I'm good, I told you, I got a good punch in. Knocked the wind out of him. But I was trying to make nice." 

He tugs at me. "Come here." 

"What?" I'm not sure what he wants, but he keeps tugging and I start laughing a little, he wants me on his lap, facing him. "Ben, this isn't good for you." 

"My back is braced," he tells me, stubborn Mountie, "And I want you closer." 

Well, hell. I move real careful, and keep my weight on my knees and then I get a hug that feels better than anything I remember. "I'm here," he says softly in my ear, "And I'm not going anywhere either, Ray." 

I nearly break down, then, have to put my face in his neck. We sit like that until the timer in the kitchen nearly makes me jump out of my skin. We both start laughing, and that's the end of the drama for the day. 

Even if I do have to wrap my hand after dinner. 

* * *

End In Cold Irons Bound by anonymous co:

Author and story notes above.


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